Expressly produced according to the exclusive Van Winkle family wheated-recipe and specially selected from barrels in the heart of the aging warehouses, this bourbon remained undisturbed for 15 years to age in deep-charred heavy oak untouched by human hands, unhurried by time.
TASTING NOTES:
An elegant and sweet aroma with caramel corn and vanilla. Features big flavor of leather, oak and complex fruitiness. Finishes smooth with notes of spice and oak tannins.
At the age of 18, my grandfather, Julian P. “Pappy” Van Winkle, Sr., started working as a salesman for W.L. Weller & Sons Wholesale in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1892, just after he graduated from Centre College in Danville, KY. He would be known soon after as one of the finest whiskey makers in the country.
This entire endeavor started with one man and his philosophy of product over profit. Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle hadn’t always planned to enter the bourbon business, but his impact on the industry continues to be felt four generations later. As he put it, he “simply tried to be honest and make a good product.” It was that simple to him, and it has stayed that simple for more than 100 years.
This bourbon is a younger expression of our famous 20 year old Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve. The whiskey in this bottle was produced according to our exclusive family wheated recipe, and it was specially selected from barrels in the heart of our warehouses here in Kentucky.
This fine bourbon has remained undisturbed for 15 years to age in deep-charred heavy oak… untouched by human hands… unhurried by time. I am proud to set my family name upon it.
Pappy Van Winkle’s 12 year old Special Reserve Bourbon is slightly higher in both age and proof than its 10 year old counterpart. The extra two years give the wheat time to create a smoother, more balanced product. The result? America’s foremost spirits authority, Paul Picult, described this award-winning bourbon as “a perfect combination of age and proof.” You’ll find gentle flavors of sun-kissed fruits and dark spices laced with caramel from the butterscotch start to the savory finish.